When Will It End? Dealing with Election Stress and Uncertainty
Freaking out that election night is finally here? Join the club! A recent survey by the American Psychological Association found that 77% of Americans are worried about the country’s future.
If you count yourself among this majority, check out this recent NPR story, which highlights some things you can do to cope with your anxiety and manage the uncertainty we all face. Here are some of my takeaways and a few additional suggestions as well:
Prepare mentally for delayed results. It’s very likely that we won’t know the election results for several days or even weeks. Not dwelling on this is going to be difficult and we will be challenged to tolerate living with some big unknowns and perhaps personal fears.
Stop, Drop, and Meditate. This meditation, Coping with Uncertainty, in particular is the one I’ll be doing between patients to bring down my cortisol levels and take me out of “fight or flight” and back to a more even keel (or being able to do executive functioning once again without being “amygdala hijacked,” per mindfulness expert psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel).
Don’t Double Down. “Doubling Down” is what we call it when we rigidly hold on to a particular strategy or course of action, regardless of actual outcome. I highly suggest NOT doubling down! Instead, be flexible and prepare yourself for any possible outcome. This tapping meditation, “Doubling Down: Free Yourself to Make a Better Choice” by Brad Yates, is a good way to prevent yourself from doubling down. Here he guides us to use EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique, to help us adapt and fortify our resilience, regardless of the outcome.
Just say NO to Doom Scrolling! We all could take more care about how much scrolling we are doing - especially this week. The need to know now, to control things now is a monster - and the more we feed it, the hungrier it gets! Take a moment before you hit your screen again and find a healthier alternative such as taking a walk, calling a family member, or turning on some happy music.
And finally...
Hang in there! Never lose hope! As Joseph Campbell aptly points out in The Hero’s Journey, crucifixion precedes resurrection. Hold onto the fact that we now have the opportunity to rebuild and come together with hope for the future.
